Serotonin Activates Catecholamine Neurons in the Solitary Tract Nucleus by Increasing Spontaneous Glutamate Inputs

摘要

Serotonin (5-HT) is a critical neurotransmitter in the control of autonomic functions. 5-HT3 receptors participate in vagal afferent feedback to decrease food intake and regulate cardiovascular reflexes; however, the phenotype of the solitary tract nucleus (NTS) neurons involved is not known. A(2)/C-2 catecholamine (CA) neurons in the NTS are directly activated by visceral afferents and are important for the control of food intake and cardiovascular function, making them good candidates to respond to and mediate the effects of serotonin at the level of the NTS. This study examines serotonin's effects on NTS-CA neurons using patch-clamp techniques and transgenic mice expressing an enhanced green fluorescent protein driven by the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter (TH-EGFP) to identify catecholamine neurons. Serotonin increased the frequency of spontaneous glutamate excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in >90% of NTS-TH-EGFP neurons, an effect blocked by the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron and mimicked by the 5-HT3 receptor agonists SR5227 and mCPBG. In contrast, 5-HT3 receptor agonists increased sEPSCs on a minority (<30%) of non-TH neurons. 5-HT3 receptor agonists increased the frequency, but not the amplitude, of mini-EPSCs, suggesting that their actions are presynaptic. 5-HT3 receptor agonists increased the firing rate of TH-EGFP neurons, an effect dependent on the increased spontaneous glutamate inputs as it was blocked by the ionotropic glutamate antagonist NBQX, but independent of visceral afferent activation. These results demonstrate a cellular mechanism by which serotonin activates NTS-TH neurons and suggest a pathway by which it can increase catecholamine release in target regions to modulate food intake, motivation, stress, and cardiovascular function.